Waverley skatepark open days bag £2,000 from carrier bag charge fund

More than 200 young people will again have the opportunity to take part in skateboard, scooter and BMX workshops this summer after Waverley Borough Council bagged £2,000 from a Tesco funding scheme.

Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch Bags of Help, which sees grants of up to £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – awarded to local outdoor community projects every month.

Councillor Kevin Deanus, Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said: “Waverley’s skatepark workshops are always very popular and last year’s events were no exception. Everyone who took part had a great time; getting some coaching, seeing some amazing stunts performed by the pros and taking part in a competition with prizes, including skateboards and t-shirts.

“It is a testament to the value of the workshops that people voted for the project to receive the £2,000.

“The skatepark workshops are set to kick off in August. Young people across the borough will have a chance to be coached by professional skateboarder, BMXers and Scooter riders. It’s a great way to start the summer and get outside.”

Lindsey Crompton, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success.

“We been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and it’s been great to give people a say on how the money will be spent in their community. We can’t wait to see the projects come to life.”

Voting ran in stores from 1 to 31 December with customers choosing which local project they would like to get the top award using a token given to them at the check-out in store.

Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has awarded more than £25 million across more than 3,000 local projects.

Tesco customers will get the chance to vote for three different groups each month. At the end of each month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.

Groundwork’s national chief executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “It’s just the beginning for Bags of Help and we’re really excited about the future. The scheme will be permanently open for applications, and as grants can now be used for not just the development of, but also for the use of local outdoor spaces, we expect even more groups will now have the chance to benefit.

“It’s projects like these that really help to capture the public’s imagination by illustrating what can be achieved when communities are given the support and the encouragement they need to create better places where they live.”

Funding is available to groups who are seeking to use and develop outdoor spaces in ways that will benefit their local community. Anyone can nominate a local project and local organisations can apply. To find out more visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp

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Notes to the editor

Organisations from around 185 Tesco regions up and down the UK will receive a share of the Bags of Help fund.

The initiative is supported by money from the five pence charge levied on single-use carrier bags.

So far Bags of Help has awarded over £25 million to more than 3,000 local community projects.